Terry Riley’s Composition ‘In the Summer’ on Buchla Music Easel
Electrum Modular shared this performance of seminal minimalist composer Terry Riley‘s composition, In The Summer, arranged for Buchla Music Easel.
What they shared about the performance:
I’ve been reading Trevor Pinch and Frank Trocco’s excellent book, Analog Days. Apparently, when Don Buchla unveiled his prototype Buchla Box at the San Francisco Tape Music Center in 1965, the most enthusiastic witness was Terry Riley, the pioneer of minimalist music. “I think I’ll do some music on that,” Riley said.
Sadly, there’s no recording or other evidence of Riley playing the Buchla (at least that I can find). But given that they crossed paths at the Tape Music Center, I thought it would be appropriate to use the Buchla Music Easel to do a cover of one of my favorite Riley pieces: “In the Summer” (1974).
Composed for the soundtrack of art-house film, Lifespan, this piece was reissued in 2007 on the CD, Les Yeux Fermés & Lifespan.”